John Hope Franklin (January 2, 1915 – March 25, 2009) was an American historian of the United States and former president of Phi Beta Kappa, the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association and the Southern Historical Association. Franklin is best known for his work From Slavery to Freedom, first published in 1947. In 1995, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Dr. Franklin had strong links to Durham. He taught at North Carolina College for Negroes, now North Carolina Central University, from 1943 to 1947. He was appointed James B. Duke Professor of History at Duke University in 1983 and two years later took emeritus status from this position. He helped to establish the Durham Literacy Center in 1985 and served on its board until his death in 2009. Franklin was also Professor of Legal History at the Duke University Law School from 1985 to 1992.

See the following references for more information:

Wikipedia

“Obituary: John Hope Franklin”, Charlotte Obsserver

“Obituary of John Hope Franklin”, John Hope Franklin Center, Duke University

---

Click map for directions to the History Grove